Outpouring of grief as Simone mourned

United in their grief, the family and friends of Simone Strobel came to her roadside memorial yesterday to pay their respects and to thank the people of Lismore.

They strode from the direction of Lismore Square Shopping Centre, arms laden with yellow sunflowers and laminated posters of Simone in happier times.

Tobias Suckfuell, 24, Simone's long-time boyfriend, had invited the media to be present, but asked them to remain unintrusive.

They just wanted to gather together at the place where Simone was probably murdered to honour her memory before they left for Sydney, where they will wait for her body to be released into their care for the long trip home to Germany, possibly early next week.

Quietly and with dignity they opened their huge bunch of flowers and lovingly threaded them, one by one, into the steel mesh fence that encloses the Continental Club's bocce courts where Simone's body was discovered.

Happy holiday snaps of her time in 'paradise', as she often referred to Australia, were affixed to the fence.

Then Tobias read a short statement, struggling to maintain his composure. Once it was over, he was overwhelmed with grief.

As one, his friends and family embraced him, clinging together. Their sobs racked their bodies as they stood weeping for 20 minutes.

It was deeply moving to be witness to their profound and intense grief, exposed here in all its raw emotion for the world to see.

This should have been a very private moment, but the eyes of the world are now on the investigation into the death of this beautiful 25-year-old kindergarten teacher, who did nothing more than go for a short walk one night in what we all think of as a safe city.